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 👀 Today’s Email about:

• Samsung has developed the industry's first 24Gb GDDR7 chip, marking a significant advancement in memory technology for high-performance computing and gaming applications.

• Bitcoin is trading at a lower price in Korea than in the global market, even though it has seen a recovery worldwide.

• Day6's Sungjin is set to make his solo debut with the album titled '30'.

NEWS 📰

Samsung has developed the industry's first 24Gb GDDR7 chip.

Samsung Electronics has developed the industry's first 12-nanometer 24 gigabit (Gb) GDDR7 DRAM, targeting applications such as data centers and AI workstations, the company announced on Thursday. GDDR7, a graphic DRAM (dynamic random-access memory), enhances the performance of devices like gaming consoles and graphics cards.

Samsung plans to commercialize the chip early next year and will begin validating it for next-generation AI computing systems with major GPU customers by the end of this year.

This new 24Gb GDDR7 chip offers significant improvements in capacity, performance, and power efficiency compared to its predecessor, the 16Gb GDDR7 developed last year. Produced using 12-nanometer process technology, the chip achieves the highest industry capacity of 24Gb while maintaining the same package size as its predecessor.

The chip employs three-level Pulse-Amplitude Modulation (PAM3) signaling technology to reach speeds of 40 gigabits per second, a 25% increase over the previous version. In certain usage environments, performance can be boosted to 42.5Gbps. Additionally, power efficiency is improved by 30%, utilizing clock control management and dual VDD design, which reduce power consumption and optimize voltage during low-speed operation.

Bae Yong-cheol, Samsung Electronics executive vice president of Memory Product Planning, highlighted the company's continued leadership in the graphics DRAM market, stating that Samsung is committed to delivering products that meet the increasing demands of the AI industry.

GDDR chips, like the new GDDR7, and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips are both gaining attention in AI services. While HBM chips, used in high-performance AI processors, offer larger bandwidth, they are more expensive and less flexible than GDDR chips. Despite their differences, both types of memory are expected to complement each other until HBM costs decrease, with HBM chips primarily used for AI learning and GDDR chips for AI inference.

Bitcoin is trading at a lower price in Korea than in the global market, even though it has seen a recovery worldwide.

Despite a global recovery, Bitcoin is trading slightly lower in Korea, resulting in a reverse "kimchi premium." Analysts point to higher demand for cryptocurrencies on international exchanges and weak investor sentiment in Korea as key reasons for the discrepancy.

The kimchi premium is a phenomenon where cryptocurrencies in Korea are usually priced higher than on global exchanges.

According to Cryprice, Bitcoin's kimchi premium was at -0.74% as of 3 p.m. on Thursday, meaning it was around 700,000 won ($511.73) cheaper on domestic exchanges compared to global ones. This negative premium has persisted since Tuesday.

This is unusual for local investors, as the premium has traditionally been a characteristic of Korea’s crypto market, known for its high trading volumes. In March, when Bitcoin crossed the 100 million won mark for the first time, the premium briefly surged to as much as 10%.

Analysts attribute the current negative premium to weak domestic investor sentiment. Globally, trading volumes increased amid optimism over the U.S. presidential election and China’s stimulus announcement, driving Bitcoin prices up over 5% on Tuesday.

"Korea’s prohibition on foreign and institutional investors using local exchanges makes the drop in retail investor demand more significant," explained KP Jang, head of Xangle Research.

"The cryptocurrency market has either stagnated or declined since March," added Declan Kim, a research analyst at DeSpread. "The Virtual Asset User Protection Act is still in transition, and the altcoin market, which dominates domestic trading, continues to face difficulties."

Insiders also highlight that many altcoins remain unlisted on domestic exchanges following the new virtual asset law. Additionally, with the ban on market-making, securing liquidity in the Korean market has become even harder.

"Each exchange operates its own liquidity and order book independently, leading to weak market connectivity. Furthermore, limitations on foreign exchange deposits and withdrawals hinder arbitrage, making price discrepancies more common in the crypto market than in traditional financial markets," said Jay Jo, a senior research analyst at Tiger Research.

"Although some investors may benefit in the short term, these imbalances could harm market efficiency and stability over time," he added.

Analysts expect the reverse premium to be temporary and believe it will likely vanish if the bull market continues.

"This will likely be resolved soon, as reverse kimchi premiums have historically not lasted long," said Jang. "Moreover, Korea is discussing legislation to allow corporate investments in virtual assets, which should enhance liquidity on local exchanges and gradually narrow the price gap with foreign exchanges."

ENTERTAINMENT 🌄

Day6's Sungjin is set to make his solo debut with the album titled '30'.

Sungjin, the leader of popular idol band Day6, will make his solo debut with the release of his first full-length album, "30," on Nov. 5.

JYP Entertainment, the band's agency, made the announcement on Wednesday night, posting a promotional image on its official social media channels.

Sungjin debuted as a vocalist and guitarist of Day6 in 2015. He has previously contributed to the group's songwriting, penning hit tracks such as "Time of Our Life" and "Welcome to the Show."

The announcement comes as the band continues its world tour "Forever Young." The band is scheduled to perform in Jakarta on Saturday and Sunday and in Singapore on Nov. 22.

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